Card holder actuated time recorder



May 24, 1949.

P. VANNINI CARD HOLDER ACTUATED TIME RECORDER Filed Feb. 19, 1945 'CloakwoYK 1N vENToR Pfff/7g4 Van/H111 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 24, 1949 2,470,961 CARD HOLDER ACTUATED TIME RECORDER Philipp Vannini, Zug, Switzerland, assignor to Landis & Gyr, A. G., Zug, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Application February 19, 1945, Serial In Switzerland August 18, 1944 11 Claims.

l In the present-day designs of workmens time recorders, the tendency has been to devise constructions member operated at the same time by one and the l@ forward or backward from a normal position, as same hand of the operator without releasing the hereinafter described, and the mouthpiece is card. The use of a special mechanical actuating formedso as to adapt it to be grasped by the hand member, however, in recorders as heretofore conof the workman inserting the card and used on structed, has not satisfactorily brought about a the insertion of the card as a handle to rock the desirable simplication of the machine. Other card holder and set a time recording printing types of machines, having the same idea in View, mechanism into action. The cardholder 2 is suphave employed electrical means for initiating a ported by apertured ears or bosses 5 oscillatable printing action when a card is inserted in the on a horizontal transverse shaft 6, to adapt it card holder, the card closing a contact bringing to be shifted laterally in the usual way for in and into action an electromagnet causing the record 2.9 out time checking (workmeiis entering and leavto be made Such devices, however, are comparaing the shop) operations, by means of a crank 1, tively expensive of construction and as they dewhich crank extends through and operates in a pend upon the use of electric energy, any intervertical slot 9 in the lower portion of the card ruption of the current renders the apparatus inholder. operative. The printing type wheels 8, of a printing mech- The present invention is designed to overcome anism driven from clock 8' are arranged at the these objections and one of its objects is to provide top of the casing in front of the cardholder, and a simplified type of machine in which use is made disposed between the saine and the cardholder of the card holder itself as an actuating member, is an ink ribbon I0 arranged in line with a slot wheieby the necessity of employingr a separate II in the holder. At the rear of the cardholder, and special form of actuating device is avoided in line with the Wheels 8, ribbon l0 and slot II', Another object of the invention is to provide is the printing head I2 of the printing striker or means whereby the card holder may be used to re- .hammer which includes a spring metal strip lease itself for a temporary lateral shift from a or shank I3 which is fixed to the upper vertical set printing position, whenever such a shift is arm of a T-shaped striker lever I 4 pivotally carfound to be necessary, without disturbing any of ried by a shaft l5. This lever has a rearwardly the automatic working parts of the machine. extending arm, bearing on a curved free portion Still another object is to provide a machine of of a leaf spring I6 fixed at one end to the casing, simplied construction in which the printing and a downwardly projecting arm fixed to al mechanism is adapted to be mechanically operlatch bar Il engageable by a hooked latch mem'- ated while governed for timed printing by suitable ber I8 secured to the cardholder at I8a. The clockwork or other suitable timing means. cardholder is connected at its upper end to the Other objects and advantages of the invention rear wall of the casing by a coiled spring I9, and will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part secured at one end to said wall, below the level will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by 4,5 of the spring I9, is a leaf spring 20 against which practice with the invention, the same being realbears an arm 2l on the cardholder, said spring ized and attained by means of the instrumentali- 20 being limited in its forward movement by a ties and combinations pointed out in the apstop 22. Another arm or lug 48 located on the pended claims. cardholder above the arm 2|, bears on the spring The invention consists in the novel parts, con- 50 shank I3 of the hammer or striker. The cardstructions, arrangements, combinations and imholder 2 has a normal vertical position shownnpiovements herein shown and described. the drawing, from which it is adapted to be swung Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows forward to printing positionfor cooperation with byway of example in perspective view, with parts the wheels 8 and ribbon I0. Spring I9 returns` broken away and in section, one form of conthe cardholder to this normal position when thel 2 struction for carrying my invention into practical use, and Figure 2 shows a detailed side elevation of a detent.

In the casing I of the recorder there is arranged a card holder or chute 2 having at its upper end a mouthpiece 3 forthe insertion and removal of the Workmens time cards. This mouthpiece 3 projects outward through a slot 4 of a size to permit rocked either cardholder is released by the operator after it has been manually moved forward to printing position. In the normal position of the cardholder the springs i3 and l5 are held under tension, and spring 20 is also held under slight tension, by pressure of the members it and 2E, and the hammer is thus placed in a condition to be spring impelled for a printing action when the cardholder is moved forward to printing position and in such movement releases the latch i3 and frees the hammer for action. Spring 2l) normally opposes movement of the cardholder in a rearward direction from its normal position but permits rearward movement of the cardholder for a special operation, hereinafter described. The slot 4 is of suitable length transversely of the casing to allow the cardholder to be shifted laterally to change its position for in and out (for example, a. m. and p. In. time) printing operations, and the slot is front to rear to allow the cardholder to be rocked both forwardly and rearwardly from its normal position.

A pivoted latch 23 is provided on the holder for locking it in its laterally shifted positions. This latch is engageable with spaced keeper notches in a stationary latch bar 215i. latch 23 is tiltable vertically into and out of locking position and is held by gravity in locking position. A pivoted vertically provided to control the latch and is operated at proper time periods from the clockwork mechanism by means of a control or trip rod 2l actuable in timed accord with the crank l. A lug 2li on the latch 23 has a beveled (see Fig. 2) face normally bearing on the front face of the har 25. When the cardholder is shifted rearward manually this beveled face of the latch will ride upon the bar 26 to lift the latch out of the notch in the bar 24 with which it has been engaged. By this action the latch may be retracted independent of the time controlled mechanism to allow the cardholder to be laterally shifted manually for a special time checking operation, as, for extime printing period.

In a guide slot 28 in the cardholder a feeler or card operated trip member 29 is iitted to slide vertically and so as to be depressed by a card inserted downward through the mouthpiece 3. The feeler has a downwardly projecting arm 30 pivoted at 30 to the free end of the horizontal arm 3| of a bell-crank latch lever having a vertical upwardly projecting latch arm angle of intersection of its arms 3l, 32 the latch lever is pivoted as at 33 to the outer end of a supporting arm 34 of a vertically movable setting and trip slide 34 mounted as at 34, at the lower end of the cardholder. This slide carries at its upper end a pin 4l engaging a short vertical slot 42 in the end of the lever arm 3l pivoted to the arm 30, thus forming a lost-motion or slip-joint connection between the parts 33, 3l and 33. The slide 34 is adapted to be adjusted through a rod 35, actuated by the clockwork mechanism to set the feeler 29 at different card engaging positions relative to the slot Il for diiferent day-time marking periods, and to correspondingly set the lever 3l, 32 for control actions. A spring ill carried by arm 34' engages the arm 3l to hold said arm 3| elevated and arm 32 in a latching position in which pin 4l is engaged by the lower end wall of the slot 42, whereby the feeler is supported in its set working position while its downward of suiiicient depth from tiltable releasing bar 2F.. is

et the movement is permitted under pressure of an inserted card against the tension of spring do, and whereby, when the feeler is depressed, lever 3l,

will be operated for a releasing action.

Fixed to the card holder is a sleeve having a longitudinal slot i3 therein through which pro- `ects a pin 4t fixed to the shaft 'Ey this construction the cardholder is mounted to shift laterally on the shaft but coupled to the shaft to rock therewith. A bar 3l has an eye Sie at its lower end which loosely engages a reduced end 38' of the sleeve 38 and is held thereon by a collar 3l' Xed to said reduced end of the sleeve, the upper end of the bar being iorked at 53 to slidably engage a stationary guide bar whereby the bar is fitted to slide with the sleeve but held `rom rotation therewith. In the absence of a card in cardholder 2, bar 3l is engaged by a laterally bent detent finger 36 at the upper end of the lever arm 32 to lock the shait and the cardholder from rocking movement forwardly from and to the normal position of the cardholder. The arm 32 swings on pivot 33 to move the detent 36 into locking position behind the arm el and to withdraw it therefrom.

A guard plate 49 is mounted to shift with the cardholder and cover the slot Il at all times. This plate may be provided with scale marks for cooperation with a pointer 50 to indicate the lateral shift positions of the cardholder and to guide a workman in marking a manual shift for the special checking out marking of the workmans card.

An arm 45 may be mounted on the shaft and carry a pawl 4t for engagement with a toothed wheel il operative when the shaft is rocked to impart a shifting movement to the ribbon lli, through gearing 4l and spool 4l or to rewind the driving spring of the clockwork mechanism through shaft S0 and gearing el.

The drawing shows the cardholder in normal position and locked against lateral shifting and forward movements and shows the feeler 29 in a 1 time set position. The feeler 29 is adjusted to ample, an out printing operation during an 1n different positions from the clockwork mechanism through slide 34 and rod 35. The holder is shifted laterally by the clockwork mechanism through rod 2l and release bar 26 and the action of crank arm l. In the operation of the machine for marking a card the workman inserts the card down into the cardholder through the mouthpiece 3 until the card bears on the feeler 29 and forces it down. This action releases the latch 32, allowing the cardholder to be swung forward to printing position by engagement of the hand of the workman holding the card with the mouthpiece. The forward movement of the cardholder releases latch i8 so that the hammer 22, i3 will be impelled for printing action by spring I6 supplemented initially by spring 20. On the withdrawal of the card and release of the cardholder from the hand, the cardholder is returned to normal position by spring i9, the feeler and striker are reset for a subsequent operation and latch i8 re-engaged with bar Il and the springs l5 and 2B retensioned. If, during an inchecking period, a workman has to go out of the factory and has to check his outgoing time, he inserts his card and moves the cardholder backward from its normal position against resistance of springs l and 23. This action releases latch 23, allowing the cardholder to be laterally shifted as required, after which the workman moves the cardholder forward for a card printing operation.

Uponthe release of the cardholder the parts will be automatically/returned to normal position, as previously explained.

iF'roInthe foregoing description, taken in connectionwith'the drawing, the construction and mode of operationv of my imprOVedtime recorder will `.be readily understood withouta further and extendeddescription, and it will be seen that the invention provides a construction whereby the working operations may be carried out by one hand of the operator through movements of the cardholder and its supporting shaft, thus doing away with the use of auxiliary operating means for the purpose. Also it will be seen that the construction described provides a machine of simplified construction as compared with other machines in which the cardholder is Operated for printing operations.

VGonceivably the cardholder may be operated lay/ other angular movemcntsrelative to the shaft,

and'it is tobe understood that in this and other respects I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a workmans time recorder, a time controlled printing mechanism, a movable card holder, detent means operating on the card holder and releasable by insertion of a card in the card holder, and means actuated by movement of the card holder for operating the printing mechanism.

2. A workmans time recorder according to claim l in which the movable card holder is rockably mounted and movement in one direction effects a printing operation and rocking in the other direction permits lateral shifting of the cardholder.

3. In a workmans time recorder, a printing mechanism including a movable printing member, a rock shaft, a cardholder mounted to rock with said shaft between normal and printing positions, means for locking the shaft from forward motion and releasing the same by a card inserted in the holder, and a latch engageable with the printing member to hold the same from action when the holder is in normal position and operative to release said printing member when the holder is moved "to printing position.

4. In a workmans time recorder, a rockable shaft, printing means, a cardholder laterally shiftable longitudinally on the shaft to different printing positions and rockable with the shaft to energize the printing means, means for normally holding the printing mechanism inoperative and the cardholder from printing movement, and means actuated by insertion cf a card in the holder for releasing the cardholder for movement to printing position and on such movement of the cardholder releasing the printing mechanism for a printing action.

5. In a workmans time recorder, a rock shaft, a cardholder shiftable laterally on the shaft and rockable therewith forwardly and rearwardly from a normal position, time controlled means for laterally shifting the holder, a time controlled latch device for securing the holder in laterally shifted positions for in and out recordings, a prin-ting mechanism including a printing element, spring means tensioned by rocking movements of the holder for impelling the printing element and yieldingly holding the holder from rearward movement beyond its normal position, a latch device acting on the shaft for holding the holder and shaft from forward movement, a latch device for holding the printing mechanism from action and adapted to be released when the holder and shaft are rocked in a forward 'direction, a member movable when a card is inserted in the holder to release the second named latch device, and means operative on a backward rocking movement of the holder for releasing the first named latch device` independently of itstime controlled means to permit of a manual lateral shift of the cardholder.

6. In a workmans time recorder, a rock shaft, a cardholder rockable therewith froma normal position to a printing position, a printing mechanisrn including a printing element, spring means tensioned by movemets of the cardholder from its printing position to its normal position for impelling the printing element when the holder is subsequently moved from its normal position to its printing position, a latch device acting on the shaft for holding the cardholder from movement toprinting position, a latch device for holding the printing element from action and adapted to be released when the cardholder is moved to printing position, and a member movable by a card inserted in the cardholder to release the first named latch device.

7. In a workmans time recorder, a printing mechanism, a laterally shiftable cardholder pivotally movable backwardly and forwardly from a normal position, means for normally holding the cardholder from lateral shifting movements and releasing the same for such movements when the cardholder is pivotally moved backwardly from its normal posit1on, means operative on a movement of the cardholder from its normal position to a rearward position for rendering the printing mechanism active for a printing action, means for normally holding and biasing the cardholder from forward and backward movements respectively and for normally holding the printing mechanism from a printing action, and means operative by the insertion of a card in the cardholder to release the second named holdto adapt the cardholder and printing to be operated for a printing action.

workmans time recorder, a printing mechanism, a cardholder mounted for lateral shifting movements to different printing positions and for rocking movements about an aXis in a direction at right angles to its lateral movements for effecting actuation of the printing mechanism, and locking and biasing means for normally holding the cardholder from forward and backward rocking movement effective to print and the printing mechanism from actuation and released by the insertion of a card in the card holder to permit rocking movement of the cardholder and actuation of the printing mechanism.

9. In a workmans time recorder, a printing mechanism, a laterally shiftable cardholder pivotally movable in opposite directions from a normal position for printing actions, means for normally holding the cardholder from lateral shifting movements and releasing the same for such movements when the cardholder is pivotally moved in one direction for a printing action, means for normally holding and biasing the cardholder from forward and backward movement and for normally holding the printing mechanism from a printing action, and means actuated by the insertion of a card in the holder to release the same for movement in either direction and rendering the printing mechanism active for a printing action.

' 10. In a workmans time recorder, a printing mechanism, a laterally shiftable, pivotally movable cardholder manually movable in opposite directions from a normal position, means for normally holding the cardholder from lateral shifting movements and releasing the same for a manual lateral shift when the cardholder is pivotally moved in one direction from its normal positiony means for normally holding and biasing the cardholder from forward and backward pivotal movement, and means operative on the insertion of a card in the holder to permit pivotal movement of the holder in either direction from its normal position and means for actuating the printing mechanism by pivotal movement of the holder in one direction.

11. In a Workmans time recorder, a cardholder movable from a normal position to a printing position, a printing mechanism including a printing element, spring means tensioned on a return movement of the cardholder from its printing position to its normal position for ac- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 803,888 Follett Nov. 7, 1905 1,217,589 Geltz Feb. 27, 1917 1,799,752 Larrabee Apr. 7, 1931 2,201,355 Streckfuss May 21, 1940 2,299,044 Streckfuss Oct. 13, 1942 2,312,137 Watson Feb. 23, 1943 

